Information distribution system for improved response to safety and security incidents

A system for rapid distribution of information collected at an incident location by a local user to remote recipients for improved response to the incident, comprising:

• a portable digital assistant to be deployed by the local user at the incident location including wireless network communications transceiver means on said computer for exchanging data with one or more wireless communications networks at the event location;
• an application including a data base resident on said portable computer, said application including an initialization program, a local communications and data collection program, and a remote communications program;
• said initialization program comprising local user identification and log-in;
• said local communications program comprising
• a local user status query program,
• a local user voice communications channel, and
• a wireless interface for communication with one or more local data collection peripherals;
• said remote communications program comprising
• a communications routing program,
• a local monitoring program, and
• a data logging and reporting program.